1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a device which culls, preferably during a washing cycle, deformed balls used in ball playpens.
2. Description of The Prior Art And Objectives of the Invention
Ball playpens are very popular at fast food restaurants and other entertainment centers. These provide safe, fun environments in which children may play. In response to the prevalence of these ball playpens, several attempts have been made to create machines which wash these balls to keep them sanitary. Examples of such devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,647,089; 5,673,918; and my own U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,096.
However, frequently balls become deformed as children crush them or otherwise abuse the balls. These deformed balls are no longer round and may clog ball washing devices or present a risk of injury as the children may scrape themselves on the sharp edges exposed by a split, crushed ball. It is thus desirable to separate or cull these balls from the ball population. U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,089 provides a ball separator formed with a tire and an opposing wall. However, balls frequently come in different sizes and the tire must be changed to accommodate differently sized balls.
It is thus an objective of the present invention to provide a ball separator which culls deformed balls.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a ball separator which is easily adapted for use with conventional ball washing apparati.
It is still a further objective of the present invention to provide a ball separator which accommodates the majority of conventionally available balls used in ball playpens.
It is yet a further objective of the present invention to provide a ball separator which accommodates two streams on incoming balls for insertion into a ball washing apparatus.
It is another objective to provide a method of culling deformed balls prior to washing to reduce the risk of fouling the ball washing apparatus with deformed balls.
These and other objectives and advantages will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing figures.